Pune: Congress To Move Court Against Pune Police Over Clash Outside Party Office
Pune: Congress To Move Court Against Pune Police Over Clash Outside Party Office
Pune, February 17, 2026: The Indian National Congress has announced plans to approach the court over the handling of a protest by the Bharatiya Janata Party near Congress Bhavan in Pune, alleging lapses by the Pune Police during Sunday’s unrest.
Senior Congress leader and former mayor Prashant Jagtap said the party objected to the police decision to grant permission for the BJP’s agitation outside its city headquarters. He claimed that while Congress workers were confined inside the premises after police closed all three entry gates, BJP supporters were allowed to gather near the compound wall.
Jagtap further demanded that Pune mayor Manjusha Nagpure be named in the FIR, alleging that she attended and addressed the protest. “We have evidence that the mayor was present and spoke at the agitation, but her name does not appear in the FIR,” he said. He also argued that the mayor’s constitutional position requires political neutrality and that participation in a party protest was inappropriate.
Congress leaders alleged that stone-pelting occurred during the protest and questioned how stones were available on the cement concrete road outside Congress Bhavan. They contended that the incident pointed to a failure of the police intelligence system.
Responding to the allegations, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said there had been no prior intelligence indicating the possibility of violence. He added that in the future, the police would not permit political parties to stage protests outside the offices of rival parties or outside the residences and offices of political leaders.
Meanwhile, BJP city president Dheeraj Ghate denied the Congress’s claims and accused Congress workers of initiating the stone-pelting, asserting that BJP supporters were targeted during the agitation.
